Tag: edgerank

Now that you know about how Facebook ranks Top News posts (see previous post), you’re probably wondering how you can optimize your posts for optimal viewing.

To optimize your posts, you’ll need: regular updates that are also engaging.

As easy and simple as that sounds, you’ll find that there is much more to it, especially when you have to apply it to your target audience. Speaking of, here are a few things you can try:

Target your Facebook updates by region. Before you post an update, hit the Everyone/Customize button (next to Share) to choose specific states or even cities. Depending on your product/service type, this can really help you zero in on your audience and experiment with the best types of updates for them

Encourage comments. If you’re unsure of where to start, you can start with simple yes/no, this/that posts. Giving users direction will often help illicit responses rather than just open-ended ‘please comment’-type posts.

Use different media. Your Facebook Page updates shouldn’t be filled with all text, picture or video updates. Mix it up from time to time to give your fans something different to look at.

Give them a reason to keep coming back. Do you want to offer helpful information, great deals, weekly updates or just entertainment? You can’t expect repeat visits if people don’t have a reason to do so

This is a great example of a post that works because of the right elements. Adventure Time is a Cartoon Network show and this update includes: a video, a connection to being a fan of their Facebook Page, and a reminder of when you can watch their show.

So, the next time you think that just making a Facebook update will automatically make it visible to all your fans – think again! Social media marketing takes a lot of hard work and time and that’s why it continues to be such a big deal.

You’re on Facebook and making posts. But, did you ever stop to see IF your posts are even being seen? Before we explore how to make the most out of those Facebook posts, it’s important to understand the method behind it.

The image above should look familiar. When you log onto Facebook, your friends’ posts or organized by ‘Top News’ or by ‘Most Recent’ posts.

Personally, I always like to view Most Recent posts. But according to an article on Social Media Today, a staggering 95% of people only view posts on the Top News feed, missing other posts that don’t rank as high. By default, posts are automatically organized by Top News.

So, did you know that Facebook has an algorithm for ranking these posts? It’s called Edgerank and consists of three main factors:

Affinity – this relies on the relationship between you and the other user. If you guys interact more on Facebook (messages, wall posts, profile views), your friend’s “affinity score” will be higher than other people you don’t really talk to.

Weight – Facebook gives a different weight of importance to things that you can engage in (Like, comment, tag).

Time – Facebook is pretty much based in real-time so it’s not surprising that older posts become less important.

Knowing this should give you a better idea of what shows up on your main Top News feed and why. This is especially important for businesses because it’s only estimated that 40% business wall posts show up on Top News feeds.

Make sure to stay tuned for our next post later this week as we explore different ways you can optimize your Facebook wall posts!